Short Line Rail Service

Railroads have become an increasingly significant part of supply chain solutions. Our ability to provide choices of transportation arteries in the most efficient way encourages companies to locate and expand in Le Mars. The City initiated ownership of an industrial park railway in 1997 and has since expanded the tracks four times. Bulk sugar receiving, paper transloading to regional newspapers, plastic resin deliveries, and limestone transloading to regional ready-mix plants all require adequate rail for incoming raw products. Future considerations for incoming rail service include steel, bulk products, and building supplies. Outgoing rail potential may encompass refrigerated box cars, corn oil and ethanol transportation.

To ensure the success of our rail, the City has contracted with Burlington Junction to operate its industrial track and to offer additional transloading services. This step set the stage to exponentially increase rail use in Le Mars' industrial parks and was the catalyst to activate the newly formed Foreign Trade Zone #288 magnet site.

In 2014, the City contracted with Burlington Switching Railway LLC, to manage the entire rail operation through our various industrial parks and to foreign trade zone magnet sites. Burlington has been granted federal operating authority and has been operational since April, 2015.